SUNTV Global | February 2, 2026
Former presidential aide, Lauretta Onochie, has strongly criticised President Bola Tinubu’s administration following the temporary disconnection of electricity at Nigeria’s High Commission in South Africa over unpaid utility bills, describing the incident as a “national disgrace” and a symbol of deeper governance failures.
SUNTV Global reports that authorities in the City of Tshwane, South Africa, disconnected power supply to the Nigerian High Commission after it allegedly accumulated unpaid electricity debts. The development was made public by the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Dr Nasiphi Moya, in a post on X (formerly Twitter).
The move sparked widespread reactions online, with many Nigerians and South Africans questioning how a diplomatic mission of Africa’s most populous nation could default on basic utility obligations in a host country.
Hours later, Mayor Moya confirmed in an update that the Nigerian High Commission had settled its outstanding bills, leading to the restoration of electricity supply.
Reacting to the incident, Onochie — a former media aide to late President Muhammadu Buhari and former Chairman of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC) — issued a scathing open letter to President Tinubu, which she shared on her X account.
According to her, the blackout at Nigeria’s diplomatic mission was not merely embarrassing but deeply damaging to the country’s image.
“The news that electricity supply to the Nigerian High Commission in South Africa was disconnected due to non-payment of bills is not just embarrassing. It is a national disgrace,” Onochie wrote.
She expressed concern that the issue was publicly announced by a South African mayor, saying the international exposure worsened the humiliation.
“That this shame was announced publicly by a South African mayor on social media compounds the embarrassment. Nigeria, the so-called giant of Africa, is now being mocked globally for failing to pay basic utility bills at its own High Commission,” she stated.
Onochie argued that the incident highlights systemic failures within Nigeria’s foreign service, pointing to the prolonged absence of appointed ambassadors.
“For nearly three years, Nigeria has operated without appointed ambassadors. Our foreign missions are leaderless, neglected, and demoralised. In some cases, embassy staff are owed salaries for months,” she said.
She added that repeated warnings about the diplomatic vacuum were ignored by the government.
“Experienced Nigerians warned your administration repeatedly. Those warnings fell on deaf ears,” she noted.
Describing diplomatic missions as symbols of national sovereignty and pride, Onochie said the power outage sent a dangerous signal to the international community.
“When the lights go out at a Nigerian High Commission, it signals to the world that the Nigerian state itself is flickering — unmanaged, uncertain, and indifferent,” she said.
She warned that the situation exposed administrative negligence, endangered Nigerians abroad, and undermined Nigeria’s foreign policy ambitions.
“How does a country seek leadership in Africa while failing at the most basic obligations of diplomacy?” she asked.
Onochie accused the Tinubu administration of silence and inaction in the face of clear governance failures, stressing that the issue goes beyond politics.
“This is not about politics. It is about national dignity. Nigerians are tired of excuses. They are tired of avoidable embarrassments. They are tired of watching their country reduced to ridicule. They are tired of you,” she wrote.
She called on the Federal Government to take urgent corrective steps, including the immediate appointment of ambassadors, a comprehensive audit of Nigerian missions abroad, and the settlement of all outstanding debts.
“History will not judge kindly a government that allowed Nigeria’s flag to fly in darkness — literally and figuratively — across the world,” Onochie concluded. “Nigeria deserves better.”
